An important part of preparation for Vacation Bible School is planning for follow-up. When the decorations come down, the markers and glue are put away, and the crumbs are vacuumed, the work of Vacation Bible School is not over. Churches that end their VBS ministry without doing follow-up are missing out on prime opportunities to reach people for Christ!

To view and hear a 10 minute presentation
that gives more details on these
follow-up suggestions, click here.

To print a listening sheet for taking notes
during the presentation, click here.

Pray and Plan

Pray for God to give you the ideas and plans that will be most effective in bringing people into His Kingdom. If you wait until Bible School is over to decide how to follow up, you may miss out on timely opportunities. Make plans before VBS for what you will do after VBS.

Enlist a Follow-Up Leader

At the same time other VBS workers are recruited, enlist a follow-up leader and team. Ideally, the Follow-Up Leader could be someone without a major role during VBS so they will not be exhausted when Bible School week is over! But more importantly, the Follow-Up Leader should be someone with a heart for reaching out to people.

Follow up on decisions

Part of follow-up includes contacting anyone who made a decision during VBS or indicated interest in talking further about salvation. Those who made professions of faith can receive counseling about baptism and discipleship opportunities. Parents of children or youth who accepted Christ during VBS may need an explanation of their child’s decision. That opens the door to discussing the parents’ relationship with God as well.

Follow up with guests

Invite to Sunday School those VBS participants who are not involved in a church.  Give their names and addresses to visitation teams or Sunday School teachers who can get in touch through phone calls, emails, cards, or visits. Deliver or send information about the church and its ministries to the home of every prospect. Share the gospel at every opportunity!

Ideas for follow-up

• Postcards from VBS teachers
• A phone call or brief visit from the appropriate age-group Sunday School teacher
• Invitations to special events such as fellowships, fall festival, Christmas programs, etc.
• Follow-Up “Blitz” – four contacts in four weeks after VBS (try to include a personal visit and a fellowship opportunity as two of the four)
• Give names of unchurched parents of children who attended VBS to adult Sunday School classes for follow-up contacts

Kingdom Life through VBS

Each Vacation Bible School results in an average of four professions of faith. With effective follow-up, your church may see even more lives changed in the months after VBS. The actions you take after the decorations come down can make all the difference in the results your VBS brings for God’s Kingdom!